Monthly Archives: August 2014

I grew up in Shreveport-Bossier Louisiana. I was proud of this fact growing up. The Sportsman’s paradise. New Orleans with Mardis Gras was fairly close. Spicy food. Cajuns. My Dad’s mom was 100% Cajun. We grew up eating gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish, Shrimp Étouffée

We would go fishing and crabbing and eat what we caught. I learned to clean fish and crabs and how to cook them. Mom and Dad both cooked and I learned from each. Louisiana Hot sauce was on every table. I knew what filé powder was and how to use it.I have made homemade root beer.

I was embarrassed as I got older how prejudice many of my friends were and was extremely happy that we moved to Texas after High School. I stay in touch with many of my relatives and classmates that still live there and I am proud that the people of Louisiana are growing up. Most industry has left the city and been replaced with gambling; horse tracks and casinos.

I am somewhat puzzled by the results of two recent polls. 5 Happiest Cities to Live in US and 10 Most Miserable Cities to Live In America. Shreveport made both lists. Number 3 happiest and number 8 most miserable.

Paco. He’s my wife’s Quaker Parakeet. He talks…or I should say he use to talk a lot. He is getting older. He is over 20 years old. He limits most of his talking now to mumbles when he is happy. I often hear him when he is eating whisper his name. Paco. Years ago I wrote a song using all of his known phrases.

You’ve seen the military movies. Every man either has a nickname or is called by his last name. That is the way it is. No literary license. Just the facts. One reason is your last name is stenciled on all your clothing so your articles can be found easily when they sort through 1000#s of pieces of laundry. If there is a need to distinguish you from someone else they know with the same last name they give you a nickname.

Now it could be a way to harass you. To make fun of you. To break you down. That is ok. That is the military way. Or it could be a simple way of saying “I love you man.”

For example on my ship we had Willy, Montana, crater face, bear-man, sarge (I was in the Navy), gags, red, rooster, Tex, and me I was “Happy” Harris. Mainly because I didn’t let anything get me down. Always joking around and smiling. So what made me think of this? McDonalds introduced their new mascot “Happy”. Apparently he scares kids to death. Way to go McDonalds.

I read an article online today “Neanderthals and Humans Had Ample Time to Mix.”

Humans and Neanderthals may have coexisted in Europe for more than 5,000 years, providing ample time for the two species to meet and mix, according to new research.

Findings support the idea that Neanderthals lived alongside humans, who arrived in Europe about 45,000-43,000 years ago. While it’s known that Neanderthal genes have survived in the DNA of many modern humans to this day, suggesting that at least some interbreeding took place, scientists are still unclear about the extent of their contact and the reasons why Neanderthals vanished.

Anyone aware of the Neanderthal Speed Dating practice, that is sneaking up behind a woman, striking her with a club, taking her, and then moving on to his next date, would surely understand how the DNAs were mixed, in Europe, during that 5 year overlap. It is understandable that the mixed breedings did not last as the Neanderthals were meat eaters and European teeth, not so good.

Though not one of his noted works, he would have had a field day with this image and thought.

The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house All that cold, cold, wet day. I sat there with Fu Shoo, we sat there we two. And I said, “How I wish we had something to do!”

Too wet to go out and too cold to play ball. So we sat in the house. We did nothing at all.

So all we could do was to Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! And we did not like it. Not one little bit.

And then something went BUMP! How that bump made us jump! We looked! Then we saw him step in on the mat! We looked! And we saw him! The man and a Cat.

The man in his hand had a Pot and a Cat! And he said to us, “Why do you sit there like that?” “I know it is wet And the sun is not sunny. But we can have lots of good fun that is funny!”

“I know a cooking game we could play,” Said the man with the cat in the pot. “I know some new tricks,” Said the man with the Cat. “A lot of good tricks. I will show them to you what do you think about that.

Your mother Will not mind at all if I do.” Then Fu Shoo and I Did not know what to say. Our mother was out of the house For the day.

“But I am getting hungry”, said I to the man., “Why is that Cat there in the pan?” “Now! Now! Have no fear. Have no fear!” said the man with the cat. “My tricks are not bad, and you should not get fat. “Why, we can have lots of good fun, if you wish, With a game that I call Soup, Soup, Soup over rice with a cat!”

“Put me down!” said the cat. “This is no fun at all! Put me down!” said the cat. “I do NOT wish to boil!”

“Have no fear!” said the man with the cat in the pan. “I will not let you boil or stick to the pan.”

“I will simmer you on low, for a clearer broth, you just lay down, like you were, lay like a sloth.”

With a cook book in one hand! And a cup of rice, “I will make feline broth served over rice and that’s nice.”

Many people do not know that I had a chance to meet with Albert Einstein. Though he died in 1955, I was born in 1950. I would have liked to discuss nuclear power since I was in the Nuclear Navy later in life. I had a chance to meet with him but I never ran into him. In fact I think my first trip through New Jersey was not until after his death. Life is full of regrets. I had a lot in common with Al. My grammar school teachers like Al’s believed that I would never be a success.